Homewood Nation

I was born and raised in Homewood, so I have many memories of walking up and down Homewood Ave. to the many businesses that used to be there before the riots in 1968. We had a meat market on the corner of Kelly and Homewood and next door was an Isaly's ice cream shop. We had GC Murphy's (there were public restrooms outside and down some stairs on the Kelly St side). There was the Belmar Theater on the corner of Bennett and Homewood where we went every Saturday and saw 2 movies for under $1. There were shoe stores and a hosery shop and restaurants, a grocery store - I think it was a Kroger's, drug stores - one on the corner of Hamilton and Homewood, one on the corner of Frankstown and Homewood, a bakery, another department store on the corner across from the meat market (I can't recall the name right now) beauty shops (hair salons now), dress stores; We even had a Giant Eagle further down on Frankstown at Gerritt where the new senior housing is now, dry cleaners, penny candy stores,- the list goes on and on. Everything that we needed as a community was right on Homewood Ave or on other streets throughout the neighborhood. We didn't have to go anywhere else and if and when we did venture out to East Libery or Downtown it wasn't that often and it was mostly for a treat or a special occasion..

Thanks for that, Mommas9...the closest that I've ever come to that kind of neighborhood was when I lived in Squirrel Hill for a few months. I just might be a little jealous of people who experienced Homewood before the riots.

So now I have to ask, do you happen to have any photos from those days? I would like to see some of what the old Homewood actually looked like - and I'm sure a lot of other people would, too.

when describing how Homewood used to be, I did often compare it to the Squirrel Hill neighborhood - everything right in your own community and within walking distance. as for photos, unfortunately no I don't have any but I too am searching. I may be able to come up with some by late spring or early summer (because of a possible renovation of a house) - I will post whatever I find..

I LOVE the old photos of Homewood - especially the Belmar Theater where myself and a couple of friends spent almost every Saturday afternoon!!

The name of the grocery store on Homewood Ave near Hamilton was Vilsak-Rays, Next to the Belmar was the Triange movie theater for 18 cent on Saturday, you got 2 features, 3 or 4 cartoons, a serial and usually some kind of live contest..either Yo-Yo or one I remember was a cracker eating contest.. chosen kids ate a bunch of crackers and peanut butter and the first one to be able to whistle was the winner..And there was an Isaly ice cream store and Klondikes cost a dime

correction to my Triange theater name.. it was the Highland Theater.. sorry !